diff --git a/src/ypywidgets/comm.py b/src/ypywidgets/comm.py
index 10f004c..b2d1d91 100644
--- a/src/ypywidgets/comm.py
+++ b/src/ypywidgets/comm.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import comm
 from pycrdt import (
+    Awareness,
     Doc,
     Text,
     TransactionEvent,
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
     create_sync_message,
     create_update_message,
     handle_sync_message,
+    read_message,
 )
 
 from .widget import Widget
@@ -48,10 +50,15 @@ def __init__(
     ) -> None:
         self._ydoc = ydoc
         self._comm = comm
+        self._awareness = Awareness(ydoc)
         msg = create_sync_message(ydoc)
         self._comm.send(buffers=[msg])
         self._comm.on_msg(self._receive)
 
+    @property
+    def awareness(self) -> Awareness:
+        return self._awareness
+
     def _receive(self, msg):
         message = bytes(msg["buffers"][0])
         match message[0]:
@@ -61,6 +68,10 @@ def _receive(self, msg):
                     self._comm.send(buffers=[reply])
                 if message[1] == YSyncMessageType.SYNC_STEP2:
                     self._ydoc.observe(self._send)
+            case YMessageType.AWARENESS:
+                # Same as pycrdt.websocket.yroom: strip Y message kind, decode body.
+                update = read_message(message[1:])
+                self._awareness.apply_awareness_update(update, None)
 
     def _send(self, event: TransactionEvent):
         update = event.update
@@ -86,7 +97,11 @@ def __init__(
                 create_ydoc=not ydoc,
             )
         self._comm = create_widget_comm(comm_data, comm_metadata, comm_id)
-        CommProvider(self.ydoc, self._comm)
+        self._comm_provider = CommProvider(self.ydoc, self._comm)
+
+    @property
+    def awareness(self) -> Awareness:
+        return self._comm_provider.awareness
 
     def _repr_mimebundle_(self, *args, **kwargs):  # pragma: nocover
         plaintext = repr(self)
diff --git a/tests/test_comm_awareness.py b/tests/test_comm_awareness.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f9ca0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_comm_awareness.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+from pycrdt import Awareness, Doc, YMessageType, create_awareness_message
+from ypywidgets.comm import CommWidget
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.anyio
+
+
+async def test_comm_provider_applies_awareness_message(synced_widgets, context):
+    async with context:
+        local_widget = await synced_widgets.get_local_widget()
+        remote_awareness = Awareness(Doc())
+        remote_awareness.set_local_state({"role": "remote"})
+        payload = remote_awareness.encode_awareness_update([remote_awareness.client_id])
+        message = create_awareness_message(payload)
+
+        assert message[0] == YMessageType.AWARENESS
+
+        local_widget._comm_provider._receive({"buffers": [message]})
+
+        remote_state = local_widget.awareness.states.get(remote_awareness.client_id)
+        assert remote_state is not None
+        assert remote_state.get("role") == "remote"
+
+
+async def test_comm_widget_exposes_provider_awareness():
+    widget = CommWidget()
+    assert widget.awareness is widget._comm_provider.awareness
+
+
+async def test_comm_widget_awareness_observe_and_unobserve():
+    widget = CommWidget()
+
+    events: list[str] = []
+    sub_id = widget.awareness.observe(lambda topic, _: events.append(topic))
+
+    widget.awareness.set_local_state({"ping": 1})
+    assert events
+
+    widget.awareness.unobserve(sub_id)
+    events.clear()
+    widget.awareness.set_local_state({"ping": 2})
+    assert events == []